Upper Green River Cattle Drive

Day 1 – June 17, 2010

Today we began our yearly cattle drive up the Green River Valley onto U.S. Forest land for summer grazing.  Our ranch is part of an association called the Upper Green River Cattlemen’s Association.  Last year approximately 5,700 head (head=number) of cattle from the UGRCA were pushed to U.S. Forest land for summer grazing.

The ranchers with the Upper Green River Cattlemen's Association drive their cattle each year to summer pasture. Here they are working across the Mesa.

Today being the first day of the drive, we gathered cattle from the far corners of the Mesa, a large plateau of BLM land where the cattle have been grazing since the middle of May when we brought them from our fields.  The Mesa is approximately 55,000 acres or 86 square miles.

The ranchers rest their cattle during their drive and guard dog Chance watches the cattle so they don't wander off.

We start gathering the cows almost as soon as we can see (about 5 a.m.) because the cattle move better when it’s cool.  When the heat of the day sets in it is difficult to get cows to move and their calves just want to lie down.  We try to take the tail end of the cattle to an area with water every day before we leave them.  This will give them the chance to replenish themselves for the next day’s ride and it helps keep them from returning back down the trail we just brought them up.

More about the drive soon.

From RealRancher Kent C. Price, Daniel, WY